


Title of your Sex Tape

by bcnners



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV), IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV) Fusion, Alternate Universe - Detectives, Audra is Sharon, Ben is Charles, Ben likes Beverly, Beverly is Rosa, Bill is Terry, But That Ends Pretty Quickly, Eddie is Amy, F/F, F/M, Human Pennywise (IT), Inspired by Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV), Kay is Gina, M/M, Mike is Kevin, Richie is Jake, Some Crime Scene Description, Stan is Holt, slowish burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2020-09-02 10:17:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 14,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20274298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bcnners/pseuds/bcnners
Summary: Richie is the carefree joker of the 99th precinct. Eddie is his stern and by-the-book partner. Not exactly the recipe for a long-lasting romance.Brooklyn Nine-Nine Reddie AU





	1. Chapter 1

“Hey, Kaspbrak. Check this out.”

Eddie turned to see Richie holding a Freddy Kruger mask up to his face. He lowered it after a few seconds and beamed at Eddie, who rolled his eyes in return.

“Put it down, Tozier. We’ve got a case to solve.”

“Well, I’ve already done everything I need to do.”

“Ok, then go ask the store clerk if they have CCTV while I handle the last of the witnesses.”

Richie sighed and put the mask down, “So boring. Ruins all my fun.” He muttered under his breath. He walked over to the till where the clerk was standing. Eddie smiled at his partner fondly. Sure, Richie was an idiot, and he annoyed the hell out of Eddie, but he was a great detective and he could be fun. Eddie always enjoyed his company more than he let on.

Five minutes later, as Eddie moved onto interviewing the rest of the staff, Richie walked over to him with a smug grin plastered on his face. He leant against the wall next Eddie and held up the CCTV tape.

“This is all the footage from the past week. You can thank me later, Detective.”

Eddie shook his head at Richie before turning to the employee he had been interviewing, “So, you were working your shift when the robbery started. Did you see what they looked like?”

“Yeah, the idiots weren’t wearing masks,” She said, nonchalantly chewing on a piece of gum, “Three white males, one was brunette, the other two were blonde. They were all pretty ugly. Only faces a mother could love, ya know?”

“Yeah, like this guy,” Richie said, holding up a cheap, knock-off Action Man doll.

“Put it down,” Eddie hissed, glaring at him, “Sorry about my partner. His parents didn’t give him enough attention.”

He hastily scribbled down what the woman was saying as she continued her descriptions of the men. Richie continued to mess with the doll, making it fight a neon-green dinosaur toy. He was fairly sure that no dinosaur was that colour, even if no-one is sure what colour they were. Points for creativity, though.

After getting another stern look off Eddie, Richie put the toys down and began to pile the few boxes of evidence that they had collected into the back of the evidence collection van. Eddie joined him soon after.

“I got all the witness reports. Johnston’s just finishing up in there.” He informed Richie.

“Good job on that one, Kaspbrak. Think we make a pretty good team, don’t you think?” Richie joked. Perhaps more than a team was what he wanted to add, but scared of making things awkward, he left them unsaid. Yet, Eddie still seemed to pick up on them. He ducked his head for a few seconds, before looking back up at Richie.

“Personally? I think I work better with Beverly.”

-

They spent the rest of the day going over the case, following leads and brainstorming theories. Their shared desk space made working on cases together easy and was probably the reason why they were put on cases together so much.

“Hey, guys. How’s the B&E case coming along?”

Both Eddie and Richie looked up at the source of the voice- Detective Ben Hanscom.

He was Richie’s best friend: extremely loyal and good-natured but he had an unfortunate tendency to embarrass himself.

“Slowly, but we’re getting there. How’s the Hawkins case?” Richie said, smiling up at Ben.

“Pretty good. We’ve narrowed it down to three suspects. Beverly’s just gone to chase a lead on one of them. A pretty promising one actually.”

“How are things going with her?” Eddie piped up.

It was no secret that Ben had a huge crush on Detective Marsh. They were often paired up for cases and no-one could miss how he stared at her longingly or his ham-fisted attempts at flirting. Beverly, however, seemed to be resistant to this.

“No luck. I’m gonna give up, I think. It’s best to respect that she’s not interested.”

Eddie patted his hand reassuringly, “I’m sure you’ll find someone right for you soon, Ben.”

“Yeah, like Detective Kaspbrak and I found each other,” Richie said, pinching Eddie’s cheek. The shorter boy swatted his hand away and glared at him. Ben gave the two of them an amused grin and returned to his desk. But not before Eddie caught the not-so-subtle thumbs up he gave to Richie.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: brief mention of organised sex crimes

Eddie arrived at the precinct ten minutes early the next day. He was determined to finish the robbery case as quickly and efficiently as possible. Usually, he got to work five minutes early, before anyone else showed up. So, he was surprised when he saw Kay sitting at her desk, especially as she was usually one of the last to arrive.

“Wow, what are you doing here so early?” He asked her.

Kay didn’t look up from her phone as she replied, “The captain asked me to get here early. He wanted me to make some calls before everyone else got here.”

“And you agreed to that?” Kay loved her beauty sleep, even if she insisted that she didn’t really need it. _It’s just to enhance what mother nature has already blessed me with_, she had once said.

“Of course, I did. Like the dedicated and hard-working employee that I am.” She replied without a hint of irony. Her eyes were still glued to her phone.

Eddie stifled a laugh and sat down at his desk, “Where is the captain, anyway?”

As if on cue, Captain Uris walked out of the elevator, a drinks carrier holding three cups in one hand.

“Morning, Kaspbrak. I thought you’d be in early.” He said, handing Eddie one of the cups and giving one to Kay.

“I thought I’d get in slightly earlier to finish up the robbery case. We've narrowed it down to five suspects.”

“Good job, keep it up,”

Eddie smiled at the compliment. He idolised the captain; he had only had the job for a few weeks, yet he had made a lasting impression on Eddie, who thought he was amazing. The other detectives were not as enthusiastic (Richie frequently made fun of Eddie’s admiration for him) but the captain was well-liked and respected all the same.

The elevator doors opened again five minutes later, and Beverly strolled out. She flopped onto the seat next to Eddie’s desk and sat slouched with her arms crossed. Eddie noted how pissed-off and tired she looked.

“Rough night?” He asked, trying his best to make his voice soothing.

“It was the worst. My stupid neighbour works the night shift, so he was banging around his apartment at 3 this morning.”

Eddie patted her shoulder, and handed her his coffee, “Have this, Bev. You look like you need it.”

“Do you reckon I could get away with murdering him? I’m a detective. I could cover it up, right?”

Eddie laughed uneasily. She likely wasn’t being serious, but you never know with Beverly. She was famous for her bad temper and her excessive collection of weapons. No-one wanted to be on Beverly’s bad side. It usually didn’t work out well for you if you were.

She took the coffee gratefully and sat down at her own desk. Eddie checked the time. He reckoned he had around seven minutes of peace and quiet before Richie showed up.

-

“You know what day it is, right?” Richie said as soon as he sat down.

“Tuesday?” Eddie replied with a half-hearted shrug.

“No. Well, yeah, it is Tuesday, but it is also the last day of our competition.”

_Shit_, Eddie thought, _I forgot about that_. Both Richie and Eddie were highly competitive and, in an effort to prove which one of them was a better detective, they started a bet to see who could catch the most criminals. Currently, they were neck and neck with each other at 83.

“Yes, I remembered. And that’s why I am going to arrest these guys,” Eddie waved the robbery case file in front of Richie’s face, “Right now.” He hurried away before Richie could protest that it was his case too.

-

Two hours later, Eddie had successfully arrested the five men for robbing the dollar store. He brought them into the precinct with a spring in his step. He cast a smug look towards Richie’s desk, only to find that he wasn’t there. Leaving the police officers to lock the men up, Eddie hurried over to Ben’s desk.

“Where the hell is Richie?” He hissed.

“He’s out chasing a lead with Beverly about that sex ring,” Ben said meekly, casting him an apologetic look.

Eddie groaned, “If he makes that arrest, he’ll-”

Before he could finish, Richie and Beverly walked in with around 30 rough-looking men in handcuffs. Richie was upfront, leading the men into the holding cells. But not before he gave Eddie a thumbs up. He wore a smug grin; his face was one of a man who knew he had won.

Eddie slumped into his desk chair, unable to believe that Richie had _actually_ beaten him. He had seven brothers and his whole childhood was spent competing with them over everything. If there was one thing he hated, it was losing. But also, part of the bet was that if Richie won, he got to take Eddie on the “worst date ever”. Eddie didn’t doubt for a second that Richie would do whatever it takes to embarrass the hell out of Eddie if that date was to ever take place. And, as Eddie watched his partner’s triumphant grin, he realised that it would.

After he successfully put the men in the holding cells, Richie walked over to Eddie’s desk with a triumphant spring in his step. He perched himself on the edge of his desk and smiled at the shorter boy.

“I just made 27 arrests, which I’m guessing you noticed. So, I believe that that,” He pointed at the whiteboard where they wrote their scores, “Needs updating. And with only five minutes to go…”

Richie strolled over to the board and turned it around, revealing the words _Tozier wins!!!_ written in lucid green pen on the other side. Ben and Beverly stood up as he did so. They had mini confetti cannons in their hands, which they let off simultaneously. Streams of multi-coloured confetti whirled around Eddie. Richie walked over to him and got on one knee, a small, black velvet box in one hand.

“Eddie Kaspbrak, will you go on the worst date ever with me? You have to say yes.” Richie said, opening the box to reveal a cheap-looking ring.

Everyone looked at him expectantly. Captain Uris had even come out of his office to watch the spectacle. Beverly flashed him a thumbs up, an amused grin plastered on her face.

“Yes…” Eddie whispered, glaring at Richie.

“He said yes, everyone!”

They all cheered, Ben being the loudest. Eddie scowled at them all, earning a chuckle from Richie.

“Our date is after work tomorrow,” Richie continued, “I’m sure you can hardly wait.”

“Tomorrow? That doesn’t leave you a lot of planning time.”

Richie chuckled, “Oh Eddie, my love, I had this date planned for weeks. I knew I was gonna win.”

Eddie snorted and sat at his desk, throwing Richie one last glare. He only winked in return.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's juicy, y'all.
> 
> Also, I know Bill is not a good alternative to Terry, but there's a reason for it that I'll get into later down the line.

As soon as Eddie got into work the next day, he was called into the captain’s office. He walked in to find Sergeant Denbrough and Kay as well as Captain Uris himself waiting for him. Kay sat behind the desk, her feet propped up onto it. Bill stood by the door, a case file in one hand.

  
“What’s going on?” Eddie said, his mind immediately jumping to all kinds of conclusions.

  
“I have a case for you and Sergeant Denbrough. Kay’s apartment was robbed last night, and I want you two to investigate.” The captain explained.

  
“Yeah, I wanted the FBI to do it ‘cause you guys are morons. But Captain insisted that it would be a better idea to just ask you two.”

  
Eddie and Bill exchanged a glance, “But you’re ok, right? You’re not hurt or anything?” Eddie asked.

  
“It’s gonna take a lot more than a robbery to take down the great Kay McCall, trust me.”

  
“Well, ok. Shall we head over and have a look then?”

  
-

  
“What’s the total cost of the items that were taken?” Eddie asked. He was sitting across from Kay, scribbling her answers in his notebook. Meanwhile, Bill searched the apartment for evidence without much luck.

  
“Emotionally? They were priceless.”

  
Eddie rolled his eyes. They were getting nowhere with this; Kay refused to give any straight answers and the only signs of a break-in that Bill could find were the broken window and several muddy footprints.

  
“So, you don’t have any CCTV or anything?”

  
“Clearly, I don’t,” Kay said, rolling her eyes at Eddie.

  
Bill turned to them and gave her a concerned look.

  
“Kay, why do you have an axe?” Bill said, holding it up.

She waved her hand in dismissal, “Oh, Beverly gave it to me a couple weeks ago.”

  
Eddie looked up at her with his eyebrows raised, “She gave you one of her axes?”

  
Kay shrugged, “Yeah? I don’t get why that’s so shocking.”

  
“Because Beverly never shares her stuff. She once threatened to cut off Richie’s hand when he touched her favourite axe.”

  
“Eddie’s right. She must really like you if she gave you this.” Bill said, holding the axe up to the light so that he could study it.

  
Kay shrugged, a smirk plastered on her face, “Well, what can I say? The girl knows where it’s at.”

  
Bill and Eddie laughed, making Kay’s smile grow wider. “But, let’s focus on the real issue at hand,” She continued, turning to Eddie, “Are you looking forward to your date tonight?”

  
Eddie grimaced, “No, I dread to think what Richie’s got in store for me.”

  
“Probably something kinky.” Bill suggested, “It is Richie after all.”

  
“Why would he plan something like that for us?”

  
Eddie didn’t miss the knowing glance that Kay and Bill exchanged. They didn’t seriously think that Richie had a crush on him, did they? Or did they think Eddie had a crush on him? _That’s insane_, Eddie thought,_ I would never_. But, the more he thought about it, the less crazy that idea seemed.

  
“Right, I think we’re done here. We’ll do everything we can to find out who did this, Kay. You have insurance on this place, right?”

  
“Duh, I’m not an idiot. I’m just surrounded by them.”

  
-

  
The end of Eddie’s shift was fast-approaching. He found it hard to concentrate on his work and kept catching himself staring at the clock. Richie caught him doing it once and threw him a Cheshire-cat grin.

  
“Wow, you can hardly wait to get me on my own, can you?”

  
Eddie scoffed, “Don’t flatter yourself, Tozier. I was only checking the time.”

  
“Riiiight, as if anyone checks the time that much.”

  
“Some people do.”

  
“Like who?”

  
“Train conductors…?”

  
Richie laughed at his response but inside, he was being hit with all kinds of feelings. His logic was that if Eddie was getting so flustered about the date, then he was looking forward to it every bit as much as Richie was.

  
-

  
Both Richie and Eddie’s shifts ended at six, making Richie’s date plan a lot more convenient. It also meant that any hopes that Eddie had of getting out of it were dashed.

  
“Right, Detective,” Richie said as soon as six o’clock hit, “It’s finally time for the Worst Date of the Century.”

  
Eddie groaned, getting out of his chair with obvious reluctance. Richie took him by the shoulders and steered him towards the elevators. Once they were inside, he gently looped his arm in Eddie’s.

  
“What are you doing?” Eddie whispered, suddenly aware of how close they were.

  
“Being a gentleman,” Richie replied, his voice equally as soft. A peachy blush had risen in his cheeks and he didn’t quite meet Eddie’s eyes. Eddie could feel the heat radiating from Richie’s body and it was making him uncomfortably hot.

  
But, as the elevator reached the ground floor and the doors opened, the moment was over. Richie’s arm was still linked with Eddie’s, but he used it to steer them towards his car. He unlocked it and opened the passenger door with a flourish, letting Eddie climb in.

  
“Where exactly are we going?” Eddie asked when Richie got in beside him.

  
“Ah, you’ll just have to wait and see, Eds.”

  
“Don’t call me that. It’s horrible.” Eddie said, pouting slightly.

  
Richie reached across and pinched his cheek, “No, it’s cute. Just like you.”

  
Eddie batted his hand away and settled down in his seat, content with watching the busy New York streets. Five minutes later, Richie pulled up outside a karaoke bar called Oxygen. They both got out and Eddie took the opportunity to study the place. It looked nice enough from the outside. He didn’t think this date could be all that bad. That was until Eddie noticed the huge sign with the words 80s Night! written in bold white letters on a retro wave background.

  
“Oh god. Richie, no.”

  
Richie turned to him and smirked, “Come on, Eds. We were both 80s babies. It’s nostalgic and it’ll be fun.”

  
Eddie didn’t notice the nickname; he was too busy staring at the sign in horror. He turned to Richie and gave him his best puppy-dog eyes.

  
“Hey, don’t give me that. You lost. This is on you.” Richie reasoned.

  
Eddie sighed and walked into the bar, making a point to shove past Richie on his way. He heard the boy laugh behind him. _Asshole_.

  
Richie appeared behind him and steered him by the elbow towards the bar. He signalled to the bartender, who came over to them.

  
“Hi, I came in last week to book some songs for tonight. They should be under the name Eddie Kaspbrak?”

  
The bartender scanned his list and then smiled up at them, “Yes, we have you down for ‘Like a Virgin’ and ‘Africa’?”

  
“Yep, that’s us,” Richie said, nudging Eddie with his elbow.

  
“Great, I’ll call you up when it’s your go. Can I get you any drinks while you wait?”

  
He took their drinks order and then disappeared further down the bar. Eddie glared at Richie and nudged him back harder.

  
“I’m gonna fucking kill you, Tozier.”

  
Richie threw his head back and laughed, “Oh, Eds, you are so cute. Trust me, you’ll love it up there. And if you really hate it, I can always come and do ‘Africa’ with you.”

  
Eddie considered his offer for a minute, “Promise?” He said, sticking his little finger out.

  
Richie chuckled, linking his own pinky with Eddie’s, “Promise.”

  
-

  
After several people had their go at butchering classic 80s songs, it was Eddie’s turn. The opening of Like A Virgin blasted out of the speakers as he walked out onto the stage. He sang along reluctantly at his first, but his love for Madonna took over and he was soon belting it out. The small crowd gathering around the stage grew bigger as people migrated from the stage to watch his performance.

  
Eddie noticed that Richie had moved from his spot at the bar. He had a look on his face that Eddie couldn’t read but he could see from the dim light from the bar that Richie was blushing. Hard.

  
The song finished, and Eddie was met with cheers and loud applause as it did. He waved his hand in acknowledgement and staggered off the stage. Richie started his own round of applause as Eddie approached him.

  
“Geez, Eds. That was amazing.”

  
Eddie simply giggled and took a sip of his drink. Singing acted like a drug for him, and when the next song started, he fought the strong urge to run back on stage and sing it himself. Still, he knew his duet with Richie was only a few songs away so he wouldn’t have to wait long.

  
-

  
“God, she is terrible at singing. Tears For Fears didn’t write such a good song for her to kill it like this.” Richie muttered, shaking his head at the woman on stage. She was singing Everybody Wants to Rule the World and was doing a terrible job at it.

  
“You two are up next,” The bartender said as he took their empty glasses.

  
Eddie felt a shiver run down his spine at the thought that he will be sharing a stage with Richie. He was too hyped up to push any unwanted feelings away like he usually did. His usual code was that getting involved with co-workers was a big no-no, but his alcohol-addled brain happily welcomed any not-so-platonic thoughts of Richie.

  
The woman finished singing and received minimal applause in return. She trotted off stage, her face turning as red as the dress she wore.

  
The intro of Africa started playing, the upbeat tune filling the room, causing Richie to jump out of his seat. He pulled Eddie up too and they ran for the stage. They got there just in time, having time only to grab their microphones before the song started. They both lost themselves in the song quickly and bounced around the stage in a drunken approximation of dancing.

  
It was until the last verse of the song that a realisation hit Richie. Everything suddenly made so much more sense. The competition between him and Eddie, the way he couldn’t take his eyes off him when he sang earlier, all of his flirting that he disguised as jokes. Richie realised that he was falling, deeply and quickly, in love with Eddie. And as he stood there, watching him sing along to the music, Richie knew that he would never be able to hear that song again without thinking of his stupidly adorable co-worker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter :) I'm pretty proud of it, personally 
> 
> Thank you all for the support that this story had got so far. It honestly means so much to me.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was kinda painful to do this to Benverly, not gonna lie.

“Hey, Bev. Can I talk to you?”

  
Beverly looked up from her paperwork to see Ben stood nervously by her desk. She felt a wave of pity (which was, she had to admit, mixed with some dread) for him; she knew exactly what he wanted. And the answer was going to be no.

  
“I was wondering… if you were free on Saturday?” He said, scratching the back of his neck.

  
_Shit._ “Look, Hanscom, I’m sorry but that’s gonna have to be a no.” She winced, worried that she had hurt his feelings.

  
He sat back down at his desk, “Oh ok, that’s cool.” Beverly studied his face for any signs of hurt but saw nothing.

  
“Wait, that’s it? You aren’t going to try and convince me?”

  
Ben’s eyebrows drew together, “No, why would I? Sure, I do like you and everything. But you said no, so I’ll leave it at that.”

  
Well, that’s new, Beverly thought. “Right, ok.”

She returned to her work, looking up at him a few minutes later, “That’s good, you know.” Ben looked up at her with interest, “Not a lot of guys would do that.”

  
He shrugged, “I don’t get why. You know what they say, there’s plenty more fish in the sea. I’ve just gotta find my dolphin in a world of clown-fish.”

  
“I don’t think that-” Beverly cut herself off. Ben could be a little clueless at times, but his heart was always in the right place, “I’m sure you’ll find someone soon. I mean, what’s not to love?”

  
Right as she said that, Ben managed to drop both his muffin and his coffee on the floor at the same time.

  
-

  
Most Fridays, Richie and Ben met up at Shaw’s, the bar closest to the precinct and the one that the whole squad had been going to for years. They were sometimes joined by Beverly and Bill, and occasionally by everyone else, but on that particular day, it was just the two of them.

  
They sat at the crowded bar, both of them gulping down their drinks like their lives depended on it.

  
“I asked Beverly on a date today.” Ben blurted out half-way through their second drink, causing Richie to almost spit his out.

  
“Wait, really?” Ben nodded, “Wow, I’m proud of you, buddy!” Richie exclaimed, clapping him on the back. Ben winced slightly at the touch.

  
“Don’t be. She said no.”

  
“Oh, well, what are you gonna do now?” Richie said, signalling to the bartender that they needed something a little stronger.

  
“My cousin recommended speed-dating. He swears by it. That’s how he met all five of his wives!”

  
Richie raised his eyebrows but said nothing. He had grown used to hearing weird stories about the Hanscom family.

  
“Maybe you could come on a double date with me?” Richie suggested, “I was thinking of asking Carol out. I’m sure she can bring along a friend for you.”

  
“Carol? But, what about Eddie?”

  
Richie shrugged, not meeting Ben’s eyes, “What do you mean? What’s Eddie got to do with this?” He gave Richie the side-eyes in response.

  
“You know exactly what I mean. The date! The sexual tension! The teasing! You two are perfect for each other and you know it.”

  
“Ew, no. Never gonna happen, Ben. We don’t like each other like that. And, for the record, I find Eddie repulsive and he finds me incredibly attractive.”

  
“Well, yeah, he's not special; everyone does. But that’s not the point. You two went on a date.”

  
Richie sighed heavily, “Buddy, we’ve been over this. It was a joke date. I was trying to embarrass the hell outta him. It didn’t mean anything.”

  
“Oh, really?” Ben said, grinning knowingly at his best friend, “Then why were you so happy the next morning?”

  
Richie shrugged, trying to hide the smile that was creeping onto his face with his hand, “I just… I watched Die Hard the night before.”

  
“Didn’t realise that Bruce Willis could make you so happy.”

  
“Well, clearly, you under-estimate my love for him, Benny.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed Kevin/Mike so that he was closer in personality to Mike. I know that is not a good match but I wanted stanlon

“Squad, if I could have your attention for a moment,” Stan addressed them from the doorway of his office, “I would like to invite you all to a dinner that Mike and I hosting tonight. All details will be emailed to you. Thank you for your time.” He finished and turned back into his office, closing the door behind him.

They all erupted in conversation immediately, and Eddie turned to Richie, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

“This is the greatest day of my life. Captain Uris just invited me to dinner!”

Richie raised his eyebrows at his partner, “He invited all of us, Eddie. And it’s really not that amazing.”

“Whatever. You just don’t appreciate him like I do.”

“I’m not sure anyone does. Probably not even Mike.” 

Bill stood up and clapped his hands together to get everyone’s attention, “Alright, squad. This is important. The Captain clearly trusts us enough to invite us. That means we’ve all got to be on our best behaviour.”

“Don’t worry, Sarge. Some of us,” Eddie said, throwing Richie a glare, “know how important this is.”

“Still… I need to set some ground rules. Eddie, try not to freak the Captain out. Richie, try not to annoy him or anyone else. Ben, don’t bring up any weird food things. Beverly, any weapons you bring will be confiscated, and you need to stick with Kay all night to make sure she doesn’t steal anything.” He said with such conviction that all the squad could do was reluctantly agree. 

They all returned to their work, and Bill sat back down, happy that his orders had seemed to be accepted for once.

“Those rules are so stupid,” Eddie complained, leaning across his desk so that he could whisper to Richie, “Try not to freak the Captain out, what the hell does that mean? I don’t freak him out!”

“You sure about that?”

“Yes! When have I ever acted weird around him?”

Richie chuckled, “Pretty much every time you talk to him?”

Eddie pulled a face at him in return and settled back in his chair, “Do you think everyone will get him a present?”

“No,” Richie said, wrinkling his nose, “Why would we?”

“It’s his birthday! You have to get him something!”

“He hates gifts, you know that.”

Eddie fell silent at that, leaving Richie to smirk at him triumphantly. They both carried on with their work before Eddie piped up a few minutes later, “I’m getting him something anyway.”

“Fine. It’s your funeral.”

-

“Richie, your tie’s wonky. Come here, I’ll h- Bev, I told you to keep an eye on Kay!”

Bill stormed off in Kay’s direction, stopping her before she could put an expensive-looking clock in her bag. Beverly rolled her eyes and strolled after him. 

They had only been at Captain Uris’ house for five minutes, but things were already descending into chaos. Ben was nowhere to be seen, Kay kept trying to steal things, Beverly was in one of her infamous bad moods and Richie looked like he had been dragged through a hedge backwards.

Eddie grabbed Richie’s tie and attempted to straighten it, “Did your dad never teach you how to do a tie properly?”

“He tried, but it’s too complicated,” Richie complained in a childish voice. It wasn’t until then that Eddie realised how close the two of them were. He could smell Richie’s cologne and could feel his breath hitting his cheek lightly.

Richie seemed to notice this too; he shuffled uncomfortably but made no attempt to move back. After hastily adjusting the tie, Eddie took a small step back and immediately noticed how red Richie had gone. He could feel a fire burning in his own cheeks.

They stood there for a while, both of them looking everywhere but at each other, until someone cleared their throat behind them, causing them to turn around. Captain Uris stood there, alongside a handsome, dark-skinned man who wore a smart beige suit.

“Tozier, Kaspbrak, this is my husband, Mike.” 

Mike held out his hand to both of them, smiling warmly, “Stan has told me so much about you.”

“All good things, I hope,” Richie joked. 

Stan and Mike exchanged a brief look, “Of course! Stan loves his job, and his team.”

There was a brief pause before Eddie spoke, “So, what do you do then, Mike?”

“I’m a professor at Columbia University. I teach Classics,” He explained, a blissful smile on his face.

“Ah, Classics,” Richie said, hoping he sounded like he knew what Classics were, “Like… Dracula.”

Mike frowned slightly, “No, Classics is the study of the Greco-Roman world, not commonplace horror stories,” He said, his voice far less pleasant now.

“Yeah, but Dracula’s still a classic, am I right?” Richie joked, earning a glare from both Mike and Stan.

Eddie, noticing this, looped his arm through Richie’s. “I’m so sorry about him, Mike.” He stammered apologetically, leading Richie towards Bill.

“What are you doing?” Richie hissed, “I was talking to Mike!”

“You upset him! Couldn’t you see that he clearly loves his job? Why’d have to go and insult it like that?”

Richie pulled away from him indignantly, “How was I supposed to know what Classics are?”

“Everyone knows what Classics are. You’re just an idiot.”

They had reached Bill, who gave Eddie a quizzical look. Beverly and Kay were standing nearby, deep in conservation. They both had soft smiles on their faces.

“Did you meet Mike?” Bill asked, giving Richie a sideways glance.

“Yes, we did, actually. But Detective Kaspbrak over here,” Richie glared at Eddie, “wouldn’t let me speak to him.”

“That’s not true!” Eddie protested, “He offended Mike, so I brought him over here.”

“For God’s sake, Richie. Thanks for keeping an eye on him, Eddie.” 

Bill patted Eddie on the shoulder and went to join Ben at the food table. 

“Thanks a lot, Eddie. I’m gonna get an earful from him later.” 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to drop you in it. I just wanted to make a good impression with Mike.” 

Richie put his arm around Eddie’s shoulders, “And I’m sure you did, Eds. I’m sorry for screwing that up.”

He grabbed a drink from the tray nearest to him, drained it and turned back to Eddie, “This party’s really boring. Can we leave?”

Eddie glanced at Bill, “Shouldn’t we ask-”

Richie shook his head, “It’ll be fine. Come on.” He slipped his hand into Eddie’s and squeezed it lightly.

Eddie stared at their intertwined fingers as they weaved their way through huddles of people, unable to stop the heat that was rising up his body.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's just a short one, but I felt like it didn't really fit in with the last chapter, so here we are.

The bitter-cold air found easily its way through the thin material of Eddie’s jacket. Cars hurried by on the street below them. The city was still very much awake, in spite of how late it was.

Richie sat next to him, his breath visible in the cold night. They were sitting on the roof of Richie’s apartment block, having gone there after leaving Stan’s house. Silence hung between them; it was comfortable, and Eddie had to admit that he liked it.

He shivered slightly, unable to stop his teeth from chattering. He blew on his hands in an attempt to warm them up, until he felt a blanket being wrapped around his shoulders. He turned to see Richie standing over him, still clutching a corner of the blanket. _He must have left to go get that for me. _

“Thanks, Rich,” Eddie whispered, looking up at the man fondly. Richie nodded and stumbled back to his own seat. Silence fell again, but this time, the air between them was alive with electricity and things they both wanted to say.

Eddie exhaled a breath that he wasn’t even aware he was holding in and watched it evaporate into the night. Richie laughed suddenly, it was breathy and humourless and so unlike his usual obnoxiously loud laugh.

“Don’t you think this is weird?” He said, turning to Eddie.

“No, why would it be?”

Richie paused for a moment, seemingly studying the skyline, “I mean, we usually fight like cat and dog, but here we are, sitting together like an old married couple.”

“I don’t think that’s weird,” Eddie said softly, picking at the blanket. Richie hummed in response and turned around in his seat.

“This is nice, though.”

Eddie looked up at him. Richie didn’t look at him as he spoke, instead staring determinedly at the building opposite. The moonlight illuminated his face, making his already pale skin look whiter and highlighting all of his best features. In that moment, he had, in Eddie’s eyes, never looked more beautiful.

“It is.” Richie turned to look at him, his eyes dark with something that Eddie couldn’t put his finger on. And as he was thinking it over, he felt Richie lean in.

_ Ah, that’s what it is._

Eddie leaned in too so that their faces were close together. For the second time that night, he could feel Richie’s breath on his cheek, could smell his cologne. Richie’s hand came to rest in the crook of Eddie’s neck, and he came closer still.

Richie’s phone began to ring loudly, causing them to spring apart. Richie groaned and pulled it out of his pocket. He excused himself and went to answer it. Eddie mentally kicked himself. He made a promise to himself when he first got the job to never, under any circumstances, get too involved with a co-worker. But Richie had a kind of magnetic effect on him and he came to the realisation that there really was no going back.

“That was Bill,” Richie said, walking over to him, “A case has come up and he wants us there now.”

Eddie sighed and stood up, “A case? What sort of case?”

“A murder,” Richie said, his eyes sparkling with excitement.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Crime scene description, murder

As far as Eddie could tell, Betty Ripsom had been pretty. ‘Had’ being the operative word; her face was now littered with bruises and small scratches. Whoever had killed her had beaten her around a bit first.

  
“Sweet Jesus,” Richie mumbled when they arrived on the scene.

  
Betty was slumped on a dining room chair, her head tilted back so far that Eddie felt like she was watching him by the door. She hadn’t been tied up, and there wasn’t any sign of a struggle beside her injuries.

  
One thing that was obvious was her cause of death. Her t-shirt was ripped in the middle and bloody, revealing a deep wound on her abdomen. Eddie gagged at this; he had always been squeamish- probably not the best trait for a detective.

  
“Do we know what happened here? Any witnesses or anything?” Richie asked Bill, who rubbed the bridge of his nose before replying.

  
“Nothing. No witnesses at all. Her neighbour was the one that called up after she heard struggling.”

  
Bill closed his notepad with a heavy sigh. He always got like this when a case looked hopeless- understandably so, in Eddie’s opinion. A cold case was never a good thing. Eddie opened his mouth to speak but Beverly interrupted him.

“Guys, come take a look at this.” She shouted from the bedroom. They all rushed in and immediately reeled back at the strange sight that met them there.

  
Tied to the end of Betty's bed was a large, cherry-red balloon, rotating eerily. A letter lay on the bed beneath it. It was handwritten in red ink. Carefully picking it up, Bill read it out loud.

“I don’t know why I chose Miss Ripsom. I didn’t, and still don’t, know anything about her, which is a shame, I suppose. She might have been a nice person.

  
You’re probably wondering who I am. I killed Betty, and I’ll kill again soon. I don't know who yet; I'll decide later.

  
I won’t tell you my real name- I don’t want to make it too easy for the detectives- but I’ll leave you with a nice little nickname. Something for the newspapers to go crazy over.

  
\- Pennywise (I’ll give you the story behind that at a later date).”

Eddie stared at the balloon as Bill spoke, barely even listening. He had noticed, with an icy shock, that it had a message printed on it in faded white letters: I <3 Derry.

  
Derry, Maine. A small, mundane town in the centre of the state, known for the old ironworks and a string of gruesome murders in the 80s. But, most importantly, it was Eddie’s hometown.

  
He felt sick to the stomach, a sense of familiarity washing over him. _This has happened before_, a whisper in the back of his head told him. And it had. Fragments of memories flashed through his mind: a ripped yellow raincoat, a lone balloon floating in the wind, maniacal laughter from an abandoned house and a wall littered with old missing posters. Derry had a habit of forgetting those victims, and Eddie had forgotten too.

  
“Eds. Eddie, are you alright?”

  
He didn’t realise how faint he felt until Richie steadied him. His eyes were wide as he gently sat Eddie down on the end of the bed. The others had returned to the dining room, taking the letter with them.

  
Eddie exhaled a shaky breath, “Yeah, it’s just… this is all too familiar.”

  
Richie raised his eyebrows, prompting Eddie to continue, “I grew up there.” He pointed at the balloon, watching as Richie’s eyes moved to it, “There was a series of child murders when I was thirteen.”

“Shit, that’s terrible,” Richie mumbled in response, his eyes still trained on the balloon.

  
“It gets worse. They were all really brutal, and the victims were usually missing for weeks before they were found. A red balloon, exactly like that one, was always found with them.”

  
The room fell silent as Eddie finished speaking. He sat completely still, staring at his lap. He could feel Richie’s eyes on him, but he didn’t look up.

  
“Geez, Eds. You don’t think they could be linked, do you?”

  
“Maine’s seven hours away, Richie. The likelihood is that they aren’t linked, no-one is going to travel that far to kill someone they don't even know. It’s just… a weird coincidence.”

  
Richie stood up to examine the balloon up close, “No,” He said after a while, “It’s too out there to be a coincidence.”

  
With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Eddie had to agree with him. The Derry murders had hit him hard. They were what made him want to be a detective; he wanted to stop it from happening again.

  
But something told him that it was too late. That the nightmare was only just beginning, and there was nothing Eddie could do to stop it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know it was kinda dark but it's only gonna get worse from here on out.
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do I need to put a trigger warning for an argument? Idk, but here's one anyway

Before he even realised he was running, Eddie found himself standing outside Betty’s apartment block. He leant against the wall and ran a hand through his hair, finding it sticky with sweat.

He heard shouting coming from inside the building, but he really couldn’t care less. At that moment, his mind was whirring at a thousand faster than normal. It couldn’t really be the same person. Could it?

“Eddie? For God’s sake, there you are!” Richie burst through the exit door, his annoyed expression twisting into one of concern when he spotted Eddie.

“Are you alright?” He said softly, standing in front of him, earning a simple scoff in return, “Okay, stupid question. Got it.”

He moved to lean on the wall beside Eddie, not taking his eyes off his for a second. They stood there in silence for a long time, both of them watching the cars hurry past. Eddie could feel a sense of calm wash over him; it was, he would come to realise, an effect that Richie always had on him.

“I can do this, you know,” Eddie whispered, giving Richie a sideways glance. And he felt that he could, better than the rest of the team. He understood this better than they did.

Richie considered this for a second, before gently placing a hand on Eddie’s bicep, “Look, Eds, you’re a great detective. Not the best one in the precinct; we all know who that title goes to,” Eddie threw him a quelling look, “but I think that maybe you being on this case isn’t the best idea.”

Eddie felt as if all the wind had been knocked out of his sails, “What do you mean?”

Richie sighed, removing his hand from his arm, “I mean, look at how you reacted back there. Clearly, this case hits a nerve.”

“And?”

“And I don’t want you to get stressed over this. I don’t want this to bring up any bad memories for you.”

Eddie laughed mirthlessly, “Oh, I see. You think I’m too weak to handle this.”

“No! That’s not what I meant.” Richie reasoned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“That’s exactly what you meant. And it’s what you and the rest of the squad think about me. That I’m too weak, too… sensitive!” Eddie felt bubbles of raw anger coursing through his veins. He knew he was overreacting, but he hated when anyone questioned his capability.

Even Richie.

Especially Richie.

“For fuck’s sake, I never said that. I’m just worried about you!” He waved his arms in the air defensively.

“Well, don’t be,” Eddie snapped, “That’s not your job.”

“Don’t you think I know that? Look, I don’t have to care about you. But I do, and that’s why you need to take a backseat on this!”

Eddie shoved past him, grabbing his car keys, “I don’t _need_ to do anything, Richard. Just piss off and let me do my job.”

He began to walk away, but predictably, Richie followed. Eddie didn’t really expect him to stay away.

“Ok, maybe you don’t think you need to do anything, but _I _need you to. Please, Eds, for me?”

Eddie rolled his eyes, still walking away from him, “Why do you care so much? Why are you so worried about me?”

“Look… I have a good reason to be worried, okay?” He gripped Eddie’s shoulders lightly, forcing him to make eye contact, “You’re just… vulnerable right now.”

“Vulnerable?”

“Fuck, poor choice of words.”

Eddie shrugged him off, “You’re goddamn right it was.” He shoved past Richie and got into his car, ignoring his protests.

-

It wasn’t often that Eddie was awake during sunrise, but after spending the whole night doing research (and ignoring Richie’s calls), it was hardly surprising that he was. He decided to take a well-earned break then, to make himself a drink and soak in the beauty of the sun-stroked sky.

The research hadn’t taken him far. He had looked at the old cases in Derry to try and find a pattern. But he found nothing, besides the fact that all of the victims were children, which, considering that Betty had a mortgage and a successful career, clearly wasn’t the case this time.

Eddie sighed softly. This case wasn’t going to be easy, but he had faith in himself. As he mulled everything over, he absentmindedly checked his phone and was immediately hit with 12 missed calls and 6 messages, all from Richie. He felt bad then. Maybe Richie really did care about him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: blood and gore
> 
> not gonna lie, serial killer pennywise gave me the creeps when i wrote this.
> 
> hope you enjoy :)

“We need to talk.”

Eddie looked up to see Richie sitting at his desk, his hair a mess and his eyes pleading. He didn’t look as if he had slept much.

“What about?”

“What happened between us on Friday night.”

“We had an argument. I don’t see why we need to bring that up again.” Eddie said, returning to his work.

“You know that’s not what I meant.”

Eddie threw his pen down and looked at Richie, “Then what did you mean?”

“We nearly kissed, Eddie! Do you not remember that?”

Eddie hesitated before answering, “That wasn’t what happened.”

Richie looked at him for a moment, not saying anything. Eddie felt as if his eyes were looking into his soul. He was the first to look away.

“Then what do you think that was?”

“I don’t know. It was just a heat of the moment thing, we were both tipsy,” Eddie sighed, speaking quieter now, “And anyway, I’m not… I’m not gay, Richie.”

Richie sat back, staring at something just past Eddie’s shoulder. After a few moments of awkward silence, he laughed humourlessly and stood up.

“Well, that’s great for you, Eddie. I’m glad_ you_ know who you are.” He said, grabbing his jacket and walking out of the room.

-

“That’s fucking disgusting.”

“Richie.”

“Well, it is!”

They were standing in the bedroom of a man called Patrick Hockstetter, after being called there by his hysterical roommate. Bill and Richie were standing over his body, while Eddie watched from the doorway.

Patrick was in a bad state: half of his face was slick with blood, the bone exposed in some places. Once a dusty yellow, his shirt was stained red at the front from the open wound on his stomach. His arms were covered in small scratches and yellowing bruises.

But the thing that stood out most to them was the red balloon that had been tied to Patrick’s left ankle and the handwritten letter that lay beneath it.

Bill picked it up, his hand shaking slightly. He read it out loud:

_“Dear detectives,_

_As I’m sure you are aware, it’s me again. I did leave my little signature clue for you so that you would realise that._

_Unlike with Miss Ripsom, this one wasn’t random. Hockstetter and I had crossed paths on many occasions. I have been planning to kill him for a while. He was an asshole and he deserved it. End of story._

_And just one more thing, if you interfere with my work, if you dare try and stop me, it’ll be one of you next._

_\- Pennywise.”_

Eddie felt bile rise in his throat as Bill finished talking, causing him to retch. Bill and Richie looked up at him.

“Go wait outside, Eddie,” Bill said gently.

“I’m fine.”

“Eddie. Go.”

He huffed but did as he was told. The night was freezing, something that was typical in New York, yet it still reminded Eddie of Friday night. He tried to take his mind off Richie, to think of this new development instead, but his thoughts kept wandering back to his co-worker. The look in his eyes when Eddie rejected him, the slight crack in his voice, it all made him want to cry. But there was something else too.

Eddie wasn’t gay- he _wasn’t_\- but Richie made him feel… different. It was something that he couldn’t explain, something that he had barely even thought about.

Something that scared him.

Eddie took a deep, gulping breath of air before pushing all of those thoughts to the back of his mind. _Not today._

-

“Captain, have you got a minute?”

Richie was standing in the doorway of Stan’s office, leaning against the frame nonchalantly.

“Of course. Take a seat. Is there something you wanted to talk about?”

He sat down on the chair directly opposite Stan and looked him in the eyes as he spoke.

“Yes, it’s about the murders, Captain. You know, the ones with the balloons?” Stan nodded slightly, his fingers steepled under his chin, “Well, it’s Bill, Eddie and I on the case. But I think-”

Richie paused, he wasn’t 100% sure he should be doing this. Eddie had experienced something like this before, he knew more about this guy than the rest of them. But he was getting obsessed, Richie could tell. He just wanted to put a stop to this before it got out of hand.

“Yes?” Stan prompted, pulling Richie out of his thoughts.

“Well, I’m worried about Detective Kaspbrak. This case hits a little too close to home for him and I think he’s starting to get in over his head.”

Stan fell silent for a moment, his eyebrows furrowed, “So do you think he should be taken off the case?”

Richie fiddled with his fingers as he answered, “Yeah, I think it’s for the best.”

“I’ll talk to Sergeant Denbrough about it, but if it’s having an adverse effect on Detective Kaspbrak, then I will be removing him.”

Richie stood up to leave; he hoped he had done the right thing.

“Detective Tozier? Can I ask you something?” Stan called after him.

“Sure, what is it?”

Stan narrowed his eyes slightly, “Why are you so concerned about Kaspbrak? I always thought you hated each other.”

Richie swallowed thickly, immediately hoping that the Captain didn’t hear it, “I don’t know. I guess I’m just worried about him.”

“Right… you can leave now,” Stan ordered. Richie did what he was told. In his haste to leave, he missed the knowing smile on Stan’s face.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hi, sorry about that. I’m Detective Tozier. I’m here for the post-mortem? Of Henry Bowers?” Richie was standing in the doorway, running a hand through his already messy hair. 
> 
> “But Detective Kaspbrak’s already-” Matt trailed off, pointing at Eddie, who wanted nothing more, in that moment, than to be anywhere else.
> 
> Richie’s eyes found where Matt was pointing at, and his expression immediately turned from one of confusion to one of mild anger.
> 
> “Eddie? What are you doing here?”

“Captain, I don’t understand, why are you taking me off the case?”

Stan gave him a look, his expression one of concern and pity, “Detective Kaspbrak, you’re one of our best detectives-”

“But that doesn’t explain why-”

“Eddie.”

“Right, sorry.”

Stan sighed heavily, rearranging his already pristine desk as he spoke, “Look, there have been some concerns raised about your involvement in this case. I don’t want you to stress over this. It’s happened before and I don’t want it to happen again.”

“Concerns raised?” Eddie mumbled, “It was Richie, wasn’t it?”

“I didn’t want to say anything, but yes, it was. He’s just worried about you, Kaspbrak. And after talking to Sergeant Denbrough, he is too.”

Eddie gave him a curt nod in return. He couldn’t believe this; why was Richie so obsessed with him being on the case?

“Look, Eddie,” Stan said gently, “I know it’s frustrating. Trust me, I would feel the same if I was in your position. But you have to see this from Richie’s perspective. He’s just doing what any good co-worker would do.”

“Yeah, I guess so. Thanks, Captain.” Eddie said, standing up to leave.

“Detective Hanscom also requested your presence in the evidence room. Can you go and help him?”

Eddie nodded slightly and left the room. He headed downstairs to the evidence room, making sure to glare at Richie on his way past.

\-----

Despite Stan’s warnings, Eddie wasn’t going to let go of the case so easily, especially after another body was found. After trying and failing to get information about it from Bill, he resorted to eavesdropping on his conversation with Beverly and Ben.

“This is serious, really serious. It has links to the other two, the balloons, the letters.”

“It could be a copycat or just a coincidence.” Ben suggested desperately.

“No, it’s not well-known enough to be a copycat and it’s too weird to be a coincidence.”

“What are you saying, Bill? You really think we have a serial killer on our hands?”

Bill sank into his chair and took a deep, shuddering breath, “Yes, Beverly… that’s exactly what I’m saying.” With that, he stood up and left, Beverly quickly following him. Ben stood up too and sat down heavily on the end of Richie’s desk, the two of them immediately falling into a deep conversation.

Seeing a golden opportunity, Eddie shuffled over to Bill’s desk and, making sure no-one was watching, grabbed the case file that lay open on it. He scanned it quickly, noting that the victim’s name was Henry Bowers and that his body was being examined at the local hospital.

He knew that this may be his best and only chance of getting information, so he grabbed his jacket and headed to the parking lot.

\-----

Eddie knocked on the door to the examination room apprehensively. He was squeamish- perhaps a little too much so for a detective- and he hated the thought that there was a dead body on the other side of the door. But, as it so often did, his investigative brain took over and he knocked again, more confidently this time.

The door flew open, a man dressed in a white lab coat standing in the doorway. He was tall- he had a good couple of inches on Eddie- and incredibly attractive. Eddie found himself staring at him in awe.

“Sorry about that. You must be Detective… Kaspbrak? Reception called to say you were here.”

“Yeah, that’s me!” Eddie said, laughing awkwardly. He desperately hoped that he wasn’t blushing.

“Well, I’m Dr Saldana, but Matt’s fine.” He said, turning and walking into the room. Eddie followed closely behind him.

He stopped suddenly at a table in the middle of the room, causing Eddie to bump into him. He hit his nose hard on his shoulder, causing it to turn an ugly red.

“Shoot, are you okay?” Matt said. He placed his hands on Eddie’s shoulders, his eyes studying his face intently. Eddie nodded shyly. He felt himself growing hot at his intense gaze and how close they were.

“I’m so sorry about that. You sure you’re okay?”

“Really, I’m fine.”

Matt smiled warmly at him in return, and handed him a form, “This is the final post-mortem. I didn’t find anything besides what was obvious.”

They held each other’s gaze for a little too long. Eddie was the first to break the eye contact, bowing his head shyly.

“Can I ask what your name is? You never told me earlier.”

“Oh, it’s-” Eddie was cut off by three sharp knocks on the door. Matt huffed irritably and mumbled a quick apology as he answered it.

“Hi, sorry about that. I’m Detective Tozier. I’m here for the post-mortem? Of Henry Bowers?” Richie was standing in the doorway, running a hand through his already messy hair.

“But Detective Kaspbrak’s already-” Matt trailed off, pointing at Eddie, who wanted nothing more, in that moment, than to be anywhere else.

Richie’s eyes found where Matt was pointing at, and his expression immediately turned from one of confusion to one of mild anger.

“Eddie? What are you doing here?”

Eddie waved the post-mortem form awkwardly, mentally kicking himself. _So much for being secretive._

Richie glared at him, before turning to Matt, “Can you excuse us for a moment?” He gestured for Eddie to follow him, which he did almost autonomously.

They walked in silence through winding corridors, dodging past nurses and patients. Eddie kept glaring at Richie; he looked every bit as annoyed as Eddie felt. They arrived at the entrance doors and Richie pushed them open with a forceful shove. He stopped when they reached the hospital gardens and turned to Eddie with his arms folded.

“Explain,” He said simply, his tone reflecting his no-nonsense expression.

“I was removed from the case. _Unfairly_,” He shot Richie a glare, “And I wasn’t going to sit back and take it.”

“Why not? Three people now have told you to back off. Does it not occur to you that there is a good reason behind that?”

Eddie folded his arms, “And what good reason is that?”

“We care about you, Eddie! And we decided that if you carried on with the case, it’ll have a bad effect on you.”

“It’s not up to you to decide what’s good or bad for me. You don’t know me half as well as you think you do, Richie. I was _fine_.”

Richie scoffed, pacing back and forth across the freshly-cut grass, “Sure, you were _fine_. Eddie, you ran away when we found Betty Ripsom’s body, you were almost sick when we found Patrick Hockstetter’s. Those balloons clearly let some skeletons outta the closet for you. That doesn’t sound fine to me.”

“I’m fine. You’re just overreacting!”

“Am I? I’m just worried about you. It’s not like you to go behind the Captain’s back.”

“Maybe I’ve changed,” He paused, not sure he should say what he was about to. But, for once, his petty side took over and he did anyway, “You should try it sometime.”

Eddie saw Richie flinch slightly, “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“No offence, but you’re starting to sound like a broken record, Tozier. You keep saying that you’re _so _worried about me, but I don’t understand why. Why do you care so much?”

Richie clenched his fists slightly and glared at him, “Because I hate seeing you like this. I hate seeing you upset. And it’s always up to me to help you through shit like this, but now, you’re shutting me out.”

“So what? I didn’t ask you to help me. I don’t want you to! Why can’t you just not give a shit like everyone else?”

“Because I love you, alright? And it pisses me off that you’re pushing me away!”

Silence fell between the two of them. Richie’s face dropped as he realised what he had said. He ran a hand through his hair and cursed profusely under his breath.

“Shit, Eds. I didn’t… that wasn’t. Fuck,” Richie stuttered desperately, his eyes silently pleading for Eddie to make this better.

But he couldn’t.

“Richie, I… I’m sorry, I can’t do this,” Eddie said, before walking away.

He had already reached the hospital gates before he realised he was running.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The McMarsh (is that what the name is??) ship has sailed, ladies and gentlemen

As he realised what had just happened, Richie felt the bitter sting of tears in his eyes. Rejection was no stranger to him- he’d had a lot of them over the years- but it had never felt quite like this before.

Richie liked Eddie a lot. After years of their competitive rivalry, it hurt for him to admit it, but he did. More than he’d liked anyone before. He was sure Eddie liked him back, as was the rest of the precinct. Beverly swore she’d bet money on it.

That was what hurt the most. He thought Eddie really did like him back. Richie had been imagining that his confession would result in them finally being happy together. Sentimental as it may be, but Richie _wanted _to wake up beside Eddie every morning, he wanted to hold his hand in the street, he wanted to kiss him whenever he felt like it. And it hurt that he would never get the chance to do that.

He speed-walked to his car, impatiently wiping away the tears that were stubbornly rolling down his cheeks. Richie wanted nothing more than to head to Shaw’s and drown his sorrows with plenty of gin and tonic.

-

Richie was sitting slumped against the bar, rolling a coaster back and forth along the top of it. He signaled to the bartender and ordered his fourth drink of the night. Alcohol usually worked wonders in helping Richie forget, but on that night, it wasn’t hitting him hard enough.

Tired of watching baseball on the small TV behind the bar, Richie studied his fellow bar-goers, empathising with all the lone drinkers and scoffing at all the happy couples. One pair caught his eye: two women in the booth closest to him, sitting too close together for their relationship to be platonic. One of them was tall, dark-skinned and very beautiful; the other was slightly smaller yet equally as pretty, with ginger hair that glowed even under the bar’s dim lighting.

The taller woman looked up as if she sensed him watching them and beckoned at him to join them.

“Kay, Beverly.” He pretended to tip a hat at them, earning playful giggles in return, “What are you two doing here?” He asked, sliding into the opposite side of the booth.

“Well…” Kay began, smiling fondly at Beverly, “We’re on a date.”

Richie almost spat his drink out, “Wait, you two are dating? How long for? And why didn’t you tell me?”

“Geez, Richie, one question at a time,” Beverly said with a light laugh, “Yes, we are dating. We have been for months, thank you for noticing by the way. And we didn’t tell you because we figured you were too busy with your own romantic ventures.”

Richie tried not to scoff at the last part, “Oh well, congrats. I knew it would happen eventually.” He raised his glass to them, before draining it in one go.

“So why are you here… alone? Is Ben busy tonight?” Kay asked, throwing Beverly a concerned look.

“I don’t know where Ben is, if I’m being honest. And I’ve come to drown my sorrows, I guess.”

Kay reached across the table and grabbed his hand, “’Oh god, what’s happened?”

Richie looked at Beverly, who motioned for him to answer, “Well, I finally plucked up the courage to tell Eddie, which didn’t end well.”

“Oh no,” Bev said, grabbing his other hand, “What did he say?”

“Bev, I’m four drinks in; I can’t remember what he said word-for-word. The important takeaway is that he doesn’t feel the same.”

“Oh Rich, I’m so sorry,” Kay whispered, “Look, you can stay with us for the rest of the night. And any drinks you want can go on my tab.” She patted his arm reassuringly.

“Thanks, Kay.” Richie said, smiling warmly up at her.

\---

Eddie wanted to kick himself.

He decided to walk home; he’d pick up his car later. He needed time to think, time to go over what happened, time alone. Richie’s confession hadn’t come at a great time. He wasn’t ready to admit his feelings; he still wasn’t even sure what they were.

But he couldn’t help but feel as if he had ruined his only chance to be with him.

Eddie got home faster than he was expecting, so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn’t notice he’d arrived at his front door.

He fumbled around his keys, and when he found them, tried to open the door.

Tried being the operative word; it was already open.

He froze for a moment, staring at the door as if it had just started talking, before snapping out of his daze and walking slowly into his apartment. Something in the back of his mind told him that he needed protection. He reached his gun, cursing under his breath when he realised he left it at the precinct.

The kitchen was the first room he walked into. Everything was in order, apart from one of the dining chairs that lay on its side. But it’s what was on the chair next to it that caught Eddie’s attention.

Tied to its back was a shiny, blood-red balloon, rotating slowly and baring those ominous words. _I <3 Derry._

“You know,” A soft-spoken man’s voice said from behind him, causing Eddie to freeze up once again, “When I heard there was a detective from my hometown that was looking for me, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t intrigued.”

The man walked closer, his footsteps echoing in the silent room. Eddie didn’t dare move. Despite the years he had put in at the 99, he wasn’t not prepared for this.

“And when I did some research, well, my interest was piqued.” He gave a humourless laugh and moved closer still, “Edward Kaspbrak. I remember you. You were the only one who got away.”

He was so close that Eddie could hear his rhythmic breathing. Eddie counted to ten in his head, his way of staying calm.

1, 2, 3.

There was a slight rustle of clothing, closely followed by the cock of a gun.

4, 5, 6.

Eddie felt its cold, hard barrel being pressed into the back of his head.

7, 8, 9.

“I won’t let that happen again.”

10.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, this chapter feels pretty shitty to me, but it took forever to write. Hope you enjoyed it anyway :)


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He rushed up to Eddie’s apartment- number 11- and went to knock on the door when he realised that it was open a crack. An icy chill coursed through his body, causing him to hesitate. He knew Eddie well enough to know that he would never leave the door open. Something must be seriously wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: blood

Richie couldn’t stop staring at the clock. He watched as the hands ticked sluggishly round and round. It was alread half past 9 and Eddie wasn’t at work. Anxiety gnawed at his stomach; Eddie was never late. He prided himself on that fact. 

He wasn’t sure he really _wanted_ to see Eddie. Sure, his feelings hadn’t changed overnight, but despite his fervent hoping, he didn’t think that Eddie’s would either. The next encounter would be awkward- Richie was dreading it- but his absence still worried him.

He couldn’t help but think that something had happened to Eddie. He had seemed pretty upset after Richie’s confession. What if he had gotten into an accident on the way home? Or what if he decided to never come into work again? That wouldn’t surprise Richie; Eddie had once taken a week off after accidently calling Stan ‘Dad’.

“Staring at the clock isn’t going to make the day go faster, you know,” Bill said, looking at Richie with an amused grin on his face. But, for once, Richie wasn’t in the mood for jokes.

“Eddie’s late. Did he say he wasn’t going to be in today?”

Bill checked his emails quickly, “No, there’s nothing here and Kay would have told me if he called in sick.”

Richie bit his lip lightly, staring at the elevator doors as if Eddie would burst in any second, “What if something’s happened to him, Bill?”

“Richie, I’m sure he’s fine,” He sighed, perching himself on the end of Richie’s desk, “This is the same person who won’t drive home if its been raining for more than five minutes. What do you think would have happened anyway?”

“He didn’t listen when the Captain told him to stop investigating this goddamn case. It could be something to do with that.” A sudden and horrifying thought hit Richie, “Shit, what if the killer got him?”

Bill laughed humourlessly, “That’s insane. The chances of that are slim to none.” He reasoned, but Richie wasn’t listening.

“That fucker knew we were looking for him, Bill. Don’t tell me it’s not possible,” He stood up, frantically gathering his things, “I’m going to his apartment.” He announced before rushing to the elevators.

“Richie! There’s no point. He’ll be fine!” Bill shouted after him.

-

Richie wasn’t sure how he got to Eddie’s apartment block so quickly. He wasn’t even sure how he knew where it was, having never been there before. But pure desperation took over, and he didn’t give himself time to question it.

He rushed up to Eddie’s apartment- number 11- and went to knock on the door when he realised that it was open a crack. An icy chill coursed through his body, causing him to hesitate. He knew Eddie well enough to know that he would never leave the door open. Something must be seriously wrong.

Careful not to make a sound, Richie pushed the door open.

The apartment was in disarray. The dining table chairs had all been overturned. A glass vase lay smashed on the floor, the red tulips it had housed scattered across the floor. The once-immaculate rug had been stained in one corner with an ominous pool of dark-red blood.

Richie stared wide-eyed at his surroundings, scarcely able to believe what he was seeing, “Eddie?” He called into the disturbingly silent apartment, his voice coming out in a quiet croak.

He shouted again and again, wandering from room to room. Eddie was nowhere to be found.

Cursing profusely under his breath, Richie pulled out his phone and punched in Eddie’s number. No answer. He tried again. Still nothing.

He called Bill, who picked up after two rings, and tearfully explained what had happened.

“Stay there, okay? Don’t touch anything and try to stay calm. I’m on my way now,” Bill said soothingly. Richie croaked out a reply and hung up.

He wandered back into the kitchen and hitched himself on to the kitchen counter. His back was to the rest of the room, but he knew that the scene that lay behind him would be imprinted in his memory forever.

Tears followed suit, coming in so thick and fast that Richie sobbed aloud, the sound echoing through the room. He tucked his knees up to his chest, removed his glasses and cried noisily into his arms. Life could be cruel to Richie Tozier, but this was the lowest of the low. Even if they weren’t in a relationship, Eddie was still his best friend. He was fine with their relationship staying platonic, as long as Eddie was okay. But, judging by the state of his apartment, Richie reluctantly came to the conclusion that he was not.

He sat up straight and impatiently rubbed his eyes. No amount of crying could help Eddie now. He had to do something.

Richie jumped off the counter, deciding that the least he could do was look for evidence. Remembering Bill’s advice not to touch anything, he put his hands behind his back obediently and scanned the room.

Something immediately caught his eye. A small, black object on the kitchen table that, after Richie had put his glasses back on and cautiously stepped closer to it, turned out to be a knife. Its blade was big, the kind you’d use to cut meat, and was covered in a thick layer of blood. Richie soon realised that it had been stabbed into the table and was dripping blood onto a handwritten note.

Forgetting what Bill had told him, Richie snatched it up and read it with shaking hands.

It simply read:

_Derry, Maine. The Well House. You have 24 hours. Or Detective Kaspbrak will be yet another addition on the list of people you failed to save._

_ \- Pennywise._


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took forever to write and I lowkey hate it, but this story needed an update 
> 
> Also, the italics are a flashback to something that was hinted at in a previous chapter so that should make more sense now.

_Eddie sat on his usual spot in Memorial Park, on the bench opposite the Standpipe. He tucked his knees up to his chest, his hands shielding his eyes from the garish colours of the decorations. Preparations for the Derry Canal Days festival were in full swing, and the Park was the first to be attacked with streamers and balloons in overly-bright patriotic colours. _

_He was as excited about the festival as every ten-year-old would be, but he wasn’t allowed to go. His mother had banned him after the string of gruesome murders that plagued Derry that summer. Sonia Kaspbrak was utterly convinced that her precious son would be the next victim, so she kept her watchful eye on Eddie 24/7. She was nothing if not over-protective._

_Eddie felt like crying with the unfairness of it all- the festival was always his favourite time of the year- but no tears would come. Instead, he sat with his head in his hands, blocking out the rest of the world. He pulled his coat tighter around him. It was his favourite one; a bright yellow raincoat gifted to him by his aunt. He wore it at every opportunity._

_He ought to go home; his mother would be worried. After all, he had been out for hours, and the town’s curfew started at seven. He had ten minutes._

_The sound of crunching stones in front of him pulled Eddie out of his thoughts. He lifted his head, expecting to see the friendly groundskeeper or a member of Derry’s elderly population, the ones who always pinched his cheeks and told him how much he’d grown. _

_Instead, a man in a dirty white clown costume towered over him, his wide grin highlighted by the bright red face paint smeared around it. Blood stained part of his left sleeve and he held a bloody knife in one hand. The very essence of malice tainted his features. Eddie froze in his seat._

The first thing Eddie noticed when he came around was the strong, metallic taste in his mouth. The second was that he couldn’t see out of his left eye. Panicking slightly at this, he tried to reach up and touch it, before realising that he was, in fact, tied to a chair.

Everything came back to him in a flood of memories. The letter, the man dressed as a clown hiding in his apartment, the hard punch he had thrown at Eddie’s head, the searing pain he felt before passing out. _The clown_… that was all too familiar to him.

A feeling of discomfort grew in Eddie’s chest, his breaths coming out in gasps. He had to calm down, he had to escape, he had to…

For the first time in ten years, he wanted his inhaler. It was useless, just another one of Sonia’s lies but he needed the comfort, the _familiarity_, it brought him. He wanted it more than anything. He _needed_ it.

_No_, he told himself firmly, _I’m not falling into that trap again. _It had taken Eddie years of hard work and self-control to break the curse Sonia’s manipulation had cast over him. He couldn’t afford to lose his head.

He breathed in and out slowly, closing his eyes. A small, childish part of him thought that once he opened them, he’d be back home. It didn’t work.

The room Eddie was in stayed the same: enclosed and dusky with huge cobwebs hanging from the ceiling and broken furniture littering the floor. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust. Eddie tried hard not to gag. But, despite its atrocities, the house seemed empty at least. He just had to escape. Fast.

He started with his hands, which were tied behind his back. He tugged at the rope impatiently, cursing under his breath when it burnt his wrists. Eventually, after a few moments, it loosened and with a final harsh tug, Eddie’s hands were free.

He shot out of the chair, aware that it was likely covered in dust too. Wiping himself down thoroughly, Eddie took some time to study the room. Dead leaves crunched under foot as he paced the room. A damp, stale smell hung in the air, the result of the constantly terrible Derry weather. Eddie wrinkled his nose in disgust, breathing more shallowly as he crept out of the room.

The room led into a cluttered landing that was almost completely dark. Taking cautious steps, Eddie made his way out of the room and immediately tripped over a broken table. Pain exploded through his foot and he swore aloud before he could stop himself.

He paused for a moment, listening intently. Nothing.

Convinced he may be alone, Eddie hurried across the landing and down the stairs, tripping on various clutter as he went. He jumped down the last two steps, landing on his knees in a puddle of suspiciously dark liquid. He hauled himself up immediately, retching as it trickled down his legs.

The front door was in front of Eddie, a little more than a few steps away. It hung off its hinges, letting in blinding sunlight. He was so close_. _A few steps and he’d be out, he could escape, go home. He was so _close._

Propelled forward by the thought, Eddie ran the last few steps, reaching out for the door handle and yanking it open.

The sight that met him was far from welcome. Standing there like he had that day, like he had that previous night, was the clown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading :)


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woooo, the last chapter.
> 
> Writing this book has been fun and I'm lowkey proud of myself for it.
> 
> I really hope you enjoy this chapter :)
> 
> TW: Graphic descriptions

The wheat fields blurred as Richie leant his head against the car window, looking but not really seeing them. He was slumped in the passenger seat of the patrol car, trying to block out Bill and Beverly’s argument.

“You need to slow down, Beverly! We are way over the speed limit.”

Beverly groaned and switched on the sirens, throwing Bill a glare, “See, now we have an excuse.”

“That’s not the point. I don’t trust these country roads. Too narrow. It’s an accident waiting to happen,” Bill mumbled, staring out the window accusingly.

“Bill’s right, Bev. You are going kinda fast.”

Beverly raised her eyebrows at Ben but didn’t comment. Instead, she glanced at Richie, her face creased in uncharacteristic concern. He was unusually quiet; he hadn’t spoken since he told them about the letter in Eddie’s apartment.

All kinds of thoughts were rushing through his head, refusing to organise themselves. There was simply no space left for words.

He couldn’t help but blame himself. He told Eddie the truth; what if it had come at a bad time? What if Eddie was off his guard? Richie knew his best friend; Eddie wouldn’t go down without a fight, unless he was preoccupied with something.

Did that mean it was Richie’s fault?

At that thought, tears that had been threatening to spill for hours finally did. Richie turned towards the window, hiding his face from the others, and suppressed a sob. He didn’t want their sympathy. Or maybe he did? In that moment, he wasn’t sure what he wanted or how he felt; his mind was so full of Eddie.

The cornfields that surrounded them thinned out and were quickly replaced with miles of dense forest. Rainclouds cloaked the sky, darkening their surroundings ominously as they hurtled past the _Welcome to Derry_ sign.

Richie turned in his seat, staring at the sign until they were out of sight, as if it would spill all of the town’s secrets for him. _Where’s Eddie? _He wanted to scream at it,_ Why the fuck is he here?_

“Nice place,” Beverly said, raising her eyebrows. They were driving down a small street lined with tiny, squat houses. An equally small park lay on the opposite side, a large statue of Paul Bunyan at its centre smiling down at them menacingly.

Normally, Richie would laugh at the town along with Beverly, he’d make some comment to make everyone else smile. But for once, he didn’t feel like making jokes. Instead, he rushed out of the car as soon as it stopped outside a convenience store. He pushed the door open and walked straight to the counter. Everyone else got out too and followed him in.

The woman behind the counter had masses of curly hair and was nonchalantly chewing gum, “Can I help you?”

“Do you know where the Well House is?” Richie said, his haste to get inside the store leaving him breathless.

The woman considered the question for a second, looking at him like he was crazy, “The Well House?”

“He just said that,” Beverly said from behind him, glaring at her.

“Yes, _thank you. _I heard him. But I have no idea what the Well House is.”

Ben moved to stand beside Richie, looking at the woman cautiously, “I’m sorry, but this is important. We’re on a police mission and we’re kinda against the clock right now. Do you have any idea what the Well House could be?”

She rolled her eyes, “No, I don’t, but my dad’s out back. He might know something.” With that, she disappeared for a few moments.

When she came back, she handed Richie a piece of paper, “This is where he thinks it could be. But you never know, your ‘mission’ could be hopeless.” She said with a smirk.

\-----

The car pulled up outside a crumbling house on a deserted street. Its windows were all smashed and part of the roof had fallen in. All the plants around it were dead, and the house itself looked close to collapsing.

“Well, this isn’t ominous at all,” Beverly mumbled, hesitating before she opened her door and got out. The others followed suit, none of them moving closer to the house.

As they stood there, staring at the house with a mixture of fear and awe, a sickening crash echoed through its walls, followed by a guttural scream.

“Eddie,” Richie whispered breathlessly. He darted towards the house, ignoring the shouts and warnings from the others.

Time seemed to slow down as Richie ran across the garden. All he could hear was his footsteps, syncing with those of the others, and the blood rushing in his ears. Another cry emitted from the house, one of someone in pain… of someone dying.

“Eddie!”

Richie threw the front door open but halted to a stop at the sight that met him.

Eddie was standing in the middle of the room, crying hysterically. Blood soaked the front of his shirt, far too much to be coming from the cut on his cheek. He was holding an axe in one hand, gripping onto it so tightly that his knuckles were white.

Laying in a heap at his feet was a man in a clown suit. He was perfectly still, his suit soaked in his own blood.

“Richie,” Eddie gasped, before giving way to a fit of frantic sobs. Richie rushed over and threw his arms around him. Dropping the axe, Eddie collapsed into the embrace.

“Eds, what happened to you?” Richie said, taking in all his injuries. He touched Eddie’s split lip gently, pulling his hand away when he hissed in pain.

“Dude can pack a punch,” Eddie said through his sobs.

“Oh my God,” Bill said as he, Ben and Beverly ran into the room. Their eyes were wide as they took in the sight. Bill knelt down beside the clown, checking for a pulse.

The room fell silent.

Bill sat back on his heels, looking up at them, “He’s dead.”

“Oh, God... Fuck. I killed someone. Rich, I _killed_ someone,” Eddie said, waving his arms around frantically. Richie pulled him back into a hug, whispering soothingly into his ear. Eddie crumpled into Richie’s arms, holding him tight.

Beverly went outside to make some calls, the shake in her voice present when she spoke. Ben and Bill went to inspect the rest of the house. Eddie pulled away from the hug when they were left alone.

He cupped Richie’s face with his hands, “I’m so glad to see you, Rich. I… Well, I thought I was gonna die.”

“Good news buddy, you didn’t. And you killed him! That is pretty fucking badass.”

Eddie giggled, covering Richie’s mouth with his hand, “I wasn’t finished talking, asshole. As I was saying, I thought I was gonna die and I didn’t want to, especially before I did this.”

“Did w-”

He was cut off by Eddie’s lips pressing against his eagerly. Richie melted into the kiss, gently pulling him closer. Eddie’s hands found their way into the crook of Richie’s neck, Richie’s hands gripping his waist.

After a few seconds, Eddie pulled away slowly. He took a step back, waiting for a reaction. But, for the second time that day, Richie was speechless.

“I’m so sorry about last night. I like you too, Rich. I like you a lot actually. You just caught me at a bad time,” Eddie confessed, biting his lip apologetically.

Richie stared at him for a moment before he mumbled, “Eds, I… don’t know what to say.”

“Never known you to be lost for words.”

“I wouldn’t get used to it if I were you.”

Eddie smiled warmly, gazing up at Richie. The amount of love in his eyes was intoxicating, and Richie could feel himself getting lost in it. Desire took over and he pulled Eddie in for another kiss.

“When we got home, when all of this has blown over, do you wanna go out sometime?”

“I’d love that, Eds.”


End file.
